Friday, July 14, 2017

Whether we are in joy or sorrow, whether we are in pain or relief, whether we are in pleasure or in worry, whether we are in happy life or sad life, ; all are the outcome of our actions. We are responsible of our fate and nobody else. This is said by Buddha some 2500 years ago. And if we study the human life, it is true. Buddha observed his mind for years and found out the reasons of our happiness or unhappiness and suggested the path of Nirvana (freedom), the freedom from misery.

Our scientist have discovered in 20th century that the matter is made of atoms: the electrons, protons and neutrons. And they are waves as well as particles. 2500 years ago after reading his world inside, Buddha declared that all matters including us are the waves, and they are Anitya-impermanent.

In humans, there are 5 senses and a mind creating their fate with their karmas, which are an outcome of their sanskaras (volitions). Mind, with the help of 5 senses build the Sanskara (volition) deep into it and with Raga or Dwesha, feel happy or sorrow with the events happening around him, forgetting the golden rule that everything is Anitya (impermanent). Positive feelings-vibrations, feelings of happiness come from our Raga and negative feelings-vibrations, feelings of sorrow come from our Dwesha. Our Raga (liking, desire to enjoy sensual pleasure) and Dwesha (disliking, hatred, aversion) build the bank of Sanskara (volition) inside us through the 5 senses and mind.

Mind has four components called: vigyana (consciousness), sangya (perception), vedana/bhavana (feeling-sensation) and sanskara (volition). Consciousness knows that there is contact of the sense organs (eyes, ears, tongue, skin, nose) with its object/subject. It is only an awareness. Perception knows the value, characteristics, shape, size of the object/subject. Feeling develops pleasant or unpleasant feeling based on the valuation. Sanskara stores the greed or aversion along with the subject/object, that has developed based on unpleasant pleasant feelings.

Sanskara is the origin of suffering, accumulated in mind. If one wants to get rid of suffering, whenever feeling or sensation arises, he/she has to observe their impermanence nature without reacting to them, slowly, the Sanskara diminishes. The desires stored in Sanskara are the reason for suffering. Till the desires remain, the birth and rebirth cycle will continue. Nirvana is possible when there is no desire left at the last breath on earth.

How this is possible? It is through detachment from all the subjects and objects while observing everything as anitya (impermanent). Happy moments or sad moments, all will go away as they are the waves. One has to burnout all the balance of the past Sanskara and stop building new Sanskara. In fact, they are burning each moment. When the fire is on, it burnout the wood, and if no new wood is added it extinguished when the wood in fire get over. Similarly, with the observation of our mind, senses and controlling the acts through bodha of anitya world of waves, the Raga and Dwesha will be dissolved and one will get freedom from both, away from the Anitya (impermanent) world and rest in the Nitya (eternal), the self, the Buddha.

There are Four Nobel Truths of Buddhism

1. The truth of suffering (dukkha): illness2. The truth of the cause of suffering (samudaya): reason of illness = desires, karma and rebirth are closely related to our desire.3. The truth of the end of suffering (nirhodha): hope for a cure.4. The truth of the path that frees us from suffering (magga): treatment through Eightfold Path.

Buddha taught that this thirst grows from ignorance of the self. We go through life grabbing one thing after another to get a sense of security about ourselves. We attach not only to physical things but also to ideas and opinions about ourselves and the world around us. Then we grow frustrated when the world doesn't behave the way we think it should and our lives don't conform to our expectations.

The Buddha taught that through diligent practice, we can put an end to craving. Ending the hamster-wheel chase after satisfaction is enlightenment ( bodhi, "awakened"). The enlightened being exists in a state called Nirvana.

Buddha as physician prescribed the treatment for our illness: the eightfold path, the way to remove suffering, the Dhamma to practice to free from suffering. Unlike in many other religions, in Buddhism, there is no particular benefit to merely believing in a doctrine. Instead the emphasis is on living the doctrine and walking the path. Observe the waves of happiness and unhappiness emerging in us, and think of their impermanency, don't attach to them, simply observe, they will pass away, make you free from bondage.

Samma Dithi: right view, samyak Darshan: knowing four Nobel truths by our personal realisation is samma dithi. To know Anitya impermanent nature of the world is very important. One has to personally realise that it is arising and passing away.

Samma Sankappo: right determination, samyak sankalp: there are three Sankalpas: i) Slowly slowly get rid of the sensory feelings. Stay away from enjoyment of sensual pleasures of 6 senses. II) Sankalpa of not killing anybody: Ahimsha (non violence). Consciously killing any creature or life is a crime. There shouldn't be any desire, intention or will to kill and not to have aversion to anybody who is doing such act.

Samma Vacha: samyak vani: not to speak lie, not to pilloried others, not to speak harsh and not to do meaningless talking.

Samma Kamnanto : Samyak karma: not to kill, not to steal, not to do sexual misconduct, not to consume intoxicant.

Samma Ajivo: samyak ajivika: not to earn through breaking any morality (sheela): trade of weapons, poison, wine, human and flash are prohibited. Other than these acts are samma ajivo earned without cheating.

Samma vayamo: samyak vyayam: make efforts to eradicate the unwholesome mental states that has arise in the mind. Make efforts so that the unwholesome mental state that have not arisen in your mind will never arise in future. To make efforts so that the wholesome mental state that have not arisen in mind will arise in mind. Strengthen the wholesome mental state that have arisen in mind.

Samma Samadhi: to achieve one pointedness of mind. Concentration of mind. Buddha had explained 40 types of meditations. It is called Kammathan in Pali. Means object of meditation. When Breath is an object of meditation, it is called Anapan.

Let us remember the four noble truth and follow the eightfold path of Dhamma to attain enlightenment.